GERD? Help

[jd743]

This will be long, but please read.
Since quite a few years ago, I have had a problem with heartburn and a general urpy feeling that would not go away.  My doctor at that time determined I probably had reflux and had me simply take Zantac.  This was in late middle school/early high school.  By the end of College, I had been having relatively few problems with this.  I barely ever took the heartburn medicine anymore.  Then I started having nights on end where I would feel like I was about to be sick, the nausea wouldn't go away, and I felt like if someone were to lay ontop of me I would be sick viciously.  This became a pattern every few nights, so I went back to my doctor.  He told me it was the reflux, that there was not much to do and that he didn't think I needed to go to a gastrologist.  He started me on protonix.
Fast forward to this year as of around Feb., I had been having constant days where I would suddenly feel extremly nauseous as if I was coming down with a stomach bug.  Nothing would make it better, and I often times wound up going to bed grinding my teeth till I passed out.  In the morning I would usually be better for a few hours, but by the end of the day the same thing would happen.  Every few weeks I would be floored as if I had a stomach bug, and then back to my usual regime.  I went to my doctor (a new doctor), and he started me on sucralfate.  I started taking two sucralfates, one before breakfast and one before dinner a day.  I also continued taking my protonix before lunch.  I stopped vomitting, but still had lots of nausea on a regular basis.  My doctor sent me to a gastrologist.  
The gastrologist told me I have a sensitive GI tract, and that he thought the protonix was doing more bad than good, because it can often upset a GI tract.  At this time, he did not think I actually had GERD, because I never have heartburn during these upsets.  I have nausea and sometimes I may actually be sick, but never heartburn or a burning sensation.  To be honest, I agreed with him, I do feel as though the protonix helps some, but also upsets my stomach some.  He also felt alot of my problem could be anxiety and started me on librax.  So, I started taking sucralfate and librax.  I take the librax twice a day it is an IBS muscle relaxant and also an anti-anxiety medicine.  The gastrologist then did an endoscopy on me and found that I do have GERD. There were a serious of almost ulcer sores on the bottom of my esophagus.  So, he told me to start taking the protonix again and the librax.  He told me to quit the sucralfate unless I felt I needed it.  I tried this for a few weeks and the nausea was hard, so I went back to taking the sucralfate too.  I worked out a system where I take a sucralfate in the morning, I take a protonix before lunch, I take a librax after lunch, a sucralfate before dinner, a librax in the evening, and finally a sucralfate before bed.  This kept me somewhat in check, but I still have been having off days where nothing helps and I'm pretty much close to bed ridden for the entire day.  And now, this last week and a half I have been nauseated every day.  It has been going on 6 days where I feel as though I could be violently ill at any time.  I'm not mind you, but it makes functioning in every which way (especially concentrating at work) hard.  I miss out on lots of family/friends events because I have to lay down and nurse myself with saltines and gingerale.  I'm at my wits end.  The gastrologist is booked through for a month still, and they will not push me forward in appointments.  I called explaining my nausea, and the nurse just told me to sip soda and chew on crackers.  :S  As if this wasn't something I had already tried.  
Has anyone else had these kinds of experiences with GERD?  Is it possible that protonix is too rough on my system? Or do I need to be taking it more than simply once a day?  I don't doubt that my problem is most likely GERD since they found lots of evidence of it when performing an endoscopy.  But I'm literally nauseous as if I'm coming down with stomach flu close to every day now.  I feel good usually around slightly before lunch time, and if I'm lucky, for an hour or so in the evening.  I'm just not sure where to go with things at this point, or if I should be demanding something of my doctor.  Is it possible to have anti-nausea medicine prescribed on a regular basis for a condition like GERD? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.  

[hmaine]

I just wanted to say it stinks that you have to be struggling with this from such a young age. I've definitely gotten nauseous from my GERD, but not from Protonix. I know that being really careful about my diet helps some with the nausea (i.e. absolutely no tomato products, alcohol, etc.) especially if I keep it up. I also learned I was lactose intolerant and this contributed to the gas that was making me uncomfortable. I have read that there's not much empirical support for colon cleansing being beneficial, but am glad it worked for NC44, I guess we all have to experiment with what works for us.

If you're really feeling like your doctor is inaccessible when you're really suffering, I'd try to find someone who is more responsive. Mostly, if you're grinding your teeth all the time, you're probably really experiencing anxiety over this. Addressing the anxiety could maybe help decrease the stress, which can make GERD symptoms worse. Hope you and your doctor get you feeling better soon.

[NC44]

Run, don't walk to your nearest health food store.  I speak from experience like yours.  I started a colon cleanse that actually allowed me to unbloat, lose the acid reflux nausea and other symptoms.  You sound like you are experiencing gas from being constipated.  Food that cannot pass will ferment in your stomach and cause gas and nausea. We Americans eat too much junk food and not enough fiber.  We don't get anywhere near enough fiber in one day no matter what we eat.  

Search the web for colon cleanses, drnatura.com is a great place to start, and get yourself on Fibercon, (any drugstore or Walmart) two each night. I am now off all meds prescribed for my symptoms but I still take the Nexium to keep my acid reflux from getting worse.  Can't beat that! I feel so much better and I think you will, too, once you have this problem off your mind.  Good luck.

[concerned22]

I too was diagonosed with GERD and ulceration and am not a person that ever takes meds. I've been experimenting with the prilosec and sulcrafate. When the once a day wasn't working, Iwas told to just double up. I realized i was getting an acid taste late at night so reversed taking the meds and now it appears better with just once a day. I think taking too much meds can irritate your system. I was popping lots of vitamins which I think was a cause that irritated my esphagus to  begin with. Try experimenting, seeing when you are feeling better and when you start feeling nausea. It could be one of the meds. The sulcrafate was a bit upsetting to my stomach also.

I had to educate myself because my doctor gives me 5 minutes and thinks it's generous time to answer questions. Hope this helps somewhat.